Ben Lilley is an Australian creative entrepreneur and corporate finance investor with a background as a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman of award-winning creative advertising agencies across Australia with agency offerings across integrated brand strategy, marketing communications, digital development and digital agency services through Melbourne advertising, Queensland advertising and Sydney advertising agency offices
Ben Lilley | Creative Entrepreneur and Private Investor for Advertising Agency, Digital Agency, Design Agency, Media Agency, Creative Business and Angel Investor Mergers, Acquisitions and Funding
PREVIOUSLY CHAIRMAN and CEO, MCCANN WORLDGROUP AUSTRALIA, Ben Lilley is an Australian businessman and entrepreneur who started out as a creative with some of Australia’s most respected agencies, including George Patterson Y and R, McCann and DDB, before launching his own agency SMART in 2000. SMART was named by AdNews as “one of the best known independent advertising success stories in Australia” and was featured in award shows including the AdNews and B and T Agency of the Year, Employer of the Year, Cannes Lions, Effies, Clios, New York Festivals, BRW Fast100 as well as other Australian and global award shows. SMART was acquired by McCann Worldgroup in 2011 and Ben installed as Australian Chairman and CEO. McCann went on to make Australian history as the world's most awarded agency in the The Gunn Report, Won Report and AdAge Awards Report for campaigns including the globally recognised "Dumb Ways to Die" for Metro Trains, which in 2013 was named the most awarded campaign in Cannes Lions history and one of AdAge's Top 15 Ad Campaigns of The 21st Century. In 2014 under Ben Lilley as CEO McCann agency was awarded its 6th Cannes Grand Prix for V/Line “Guilt Trips”. And in 2015 McCann was Australia's top ranked agency (and 6th in the world) in the global Warc 100 creative effectiveness rankings.
McCann Australia was also named Agency of the Year at the London International, Spikes Asia, Campaign Asia, Campaign Brief, Mumbrella and AWARD awards during Ben Lilley's tenure as Australian CEO. Today, Ben Lilley’s award-winning full-service creative advertising agencies offer brand strategy, creative development, web design, web development, social media, SEM, media planning and buying, marketing and design across Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Queensland.
McCann Worldgroup remains one of Australia's most awarded agency networks with creative work recognized at all the major international advertising festivals, including the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, Siren Awards, One Show, Clio Awards, and local Australian advertising shows including the Australian Writers and Art Directors (AWARD). From a business perspective, Ben Lilley’s agencies have also been recognised in the AdNews Agency of the Year Awards as well as the BRW Fast 100. As both recognised world leader in marketing and advertising solutions and a local Australian agency consultant and creative business entrepreneur, Ben Lilley offers global insights and experience a specialist, independently managed advertising agency professional. Today Ben is founder and Chairman of the Hero national Australian agency network. You can read more at Bensational.com
Ben Lilley’s entrepreneurial creative business investments and private business investments are pecialists in brand strategy, brand development, creative advertising campaigns, branded content creation and digital marketing across all facets of the marketing spectrum. This also encompasses a full suite of digital, interactive, online and web services as well as in-house production services for above-the-line media such as television, print, outdoor, radio and magazines. Ben Lilley’s businesses also operate below-the-line, with services covering email marketing, e-crm and social media across Australia, primarily in Melbourne, Sydney and Queensland.
